THE BLESSING OF A BOYCOTT: Dr. Ido Hevroni--who researches literature of the Talmudic period and is a fellow at Jerusalem's Shalem Center--is not upset at the prospect of the British academic boycott:

I hope that just like the ancient embargo on selling arms to Israel constituted a catalyst for developing unique Israeli inventions, this "intellectual embargo" would stimulate Israeli academia to turn to more independent intellectual avenues that are less about currying favor with Western academic fashions.

I'm not talking about the areas of technological and scientific research, where Israeli academicians are already among the leaders in the field, but rather, the humanities. I hope that the exposure of the foolish motives of British "intellectuals" may turn more Israeli intellectuals to deal with ancient Jewish treasures that, in my view, contain possibilities for intellectual and cultural revival that our society needs today more than ever.

And no, I'm not preaching here for an end to the productive dialogue between Jewish thought and Western thought, or between Jewish thinkers and non-Jewish intellectuals (who are still willing to talk to us,) but rather, for boosting the status of the Jewish tradition within our cultural, legal, and moral discourse, due to a conviction that Judaism contributed much and can still contribute much to shaping the universal spirit of humanity.

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